Future Cut

Future Cut, the British duo consisting of Tunde Babalola and Darren Lewis, have found success as both underground drum’n’bass figures and mainstream pop producers. Early releases such as 2000′s Bloodline EP and 2001′s “Obsession” appeared on highly regarded labels like Renegade Hardware and Metalheadz, demonstrating the duo’s inventive style of complex, funky darkside drum’n’bass. Around the same time, the producers created more accessible, jazzy drum’n’bass with vocalist Jenna G as the trio Un-Cut, releasing the major-label full-length The Un-Calculated Some in 2003. Babalola and Lewis then produced and co-wrote several songs on Lily Allen’s 2006 debut, and following its worldwide success, the duo became in-demand pop producers, working with stars like Tom Jones, Shakira, Rihanna, and others. They stayed active within the drum’n’bass scene, collaborating with acts like Ulterior Motive and René LaVice, and releasing tracks like 2022′s “Make Me Wanna” (with No Guidnce).
Tunde Babalola and Darren Lewis were both active as part of Manchester’s drum’n’bass community in the mid-’90s, and they began releasing music together as Future Cut in 1998. First single “The Chase” appeared in 1998, followed by 2000′s Bloodline EP on Renegade Hardware. The duo toured extensively and continued releasing material, with second Renegade Hardware EP Ghetto Style and single “The Specialist” (on J Majik’s Infrared) appearing in 2001. They also surfaced on Goldie’s Metalheadz label with “Obsession,” featuring vocalist Jenna G, which topped the U.K. dance chart. The trio continued collaborating as Un-Cut, releasing the single “Midnight” and subsequently signing with WEA. “Midnight” was re-released and hit the Top 30, and the group’s jazzy, soulful full-length The Un-Calculated Some appeared in 2003. While acclaimed, the album didn’t meet the label’s commercial expectations, and the group was dropped.
After Un-Cut disbanded, Babalola and Lewis met up with then-unknown singer Lily Allen in 2004, co-writing “Smile,” “LDN,” and other songs which would end up being her first hits. Future Cut still occasionally released drum’n’bass singles, but the success of Allen’s debut album Alright, Still prompted them to continue pursuing success as pop producers. Within a few years, they racked up credits on releases by Tom Jones, Shakira, Olly Murs, Little Mix, and several others. In 2017, they launched their own Future Cut Recordings and began digitally reissuing earlier tracks, in addition to previously unreleased material and remixes. Future Cut and Ulterior Motive collaborated on 2018′s GDNCE 003 EP. Returning to Metalheadz, Future Cut released the Nine Strings EP with René LaVice in 2020. LaVice’s label DeVice released “Make or Break,” Future Cut’s single with vocalist Camden Cox. Several remixes of past Future Cut tracks appeared throughout 2021, and “Exocet,” with Submotive, was released in 2022. The duo also collaborated with No Guidnce for “Make Me Wanna,” a cover of the Usher hit from 1997. Babalola and Lewis expanded into theater, co-writing songs for the musical The Ten with Emily Phillips. ~ Paul Simpson